Steering-gear



F. HLRAGAN.

STEERING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED AUGISO, i919.

Patented June 22, 1920.

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INI U w Q /N y k1 3513 WAM MdL/ffm UNITED STATES PATENT G'FFICE. FREDERICK H. mieriiln, OE DETROIT, MICHIGMVASSIGNOE To GEMMER IMANUEAC- TUBING COMPANY, OE DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OE MICHIGAN.

STEERING-GEAR. f

Specification of Letters atent. .Patentgd June 22, 1920.

. v Application rfiledNAugustO, 1919f`Seria1No. 320,757'.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FREDERICK I-I. HAGAN, a citizen Aof the United States of America, `.residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne 5 and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in p Steering-Gears, of which thefollowing is a Fig. l. specification, reference being had therein to A is the housing which has a portion B the accompanying drawings. for inclosing the wormgear and a portion C plete "assembly of the gear. In the drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal section through' ment whichmay be operated after the com- A Fig. 2 is a cross-section on line 2-20f I The invention relates to worm gearing for receiving the steering stein D and the and more particularly to -'steering gears of worm E thereon. The steering stem is supf,

that type in which the rotation of the steerported by bearings F -and F at opposite ing stem is transmitted to the rocker arm ends of the worm and anti-frictionV end through the medium of worin gearing. Inl thrust bearings G and G are arranged bethe design of .steering gears it is desirable tween the worm and the bearings Fand F. .vto'obtain simplicity of construction. There- The bearing F .is formed in a bushing ffore', with certain types of gears the worin, which has a spherical/outer face engaging` wheels are mounted ina single integral cast a spherical socket portion H ofthe housing housing, the axes of the bearings being lo- A. The bearing F is also formed in a bushcated a fixed distance from each other. lIt ing with a similar spherical outer portion, has been found,. however, that in large probut instead.l .of directly engaging' the outer duction it is impossible to hold dimensions housing, this bushingis seated in a tubular lvery close. As aconsequence, both the wormmember I.A The latter is externally threaded and wo'rin gears vary slightly in size and as indicated at J, and engagesan internallyy 25 there is'also a variation in the distance'bethreaded bushing K arranged between the tween the bearings in the housings. It has same and the outer casing A. The vinner been the practice heretofore'to matchup the surface of kthe bushin K is concentric with gears and worms with housings so as to sethe axis of thestem but the outer face, cure a better meshing. This involves time which is cylindricahis concentric with an and labor as well asia frequent Lscrapping of axis slightly inclined to the axis of the 'parts which'are-outside the limits of perstem D andengages axsbimilarly inclined cymissible variation. y lindrical socket in the member A, as indi- With other constructions of steering gears a cated atfL, M is a shoulder on the member adjustment is provided for the bearing of I which is engaged by an adjustable collar 3-5 the worm with respectto the bearing of the f N having a threaded engagement with` the worin gear, 'but with such constructions the casing A.A This collar is locked in diiferent adjustable bearingis at one end ofthe wheel positions of adjustment by splitting the only. This has thefobvious ob]ect1on that outer casing, as indicated at O, and by prothe lateral thrust of the worm gear against viding a clamping bolt P. A similarlock- 40 'theworin is resistant only by a single bear! ing device for the bushing K is formed by ing offset from the line of thrust. the bolt Q. R is a spline engaging a slot in f It is the object ofthe present invention to the bushing -K and holding the same from obtain a` simple construction of steering rotation while permitting longitudinal adgear in which there-,are bearings lfor the ,justment A p wheel on opposite ends thereof and at the With the construction as described the va.

same time there is provision for a lateral adrious elements of the structure are first asjustlnent ofthe worm with' respectto the sembled and after assembly are adjusted in gear. To this end I have devised a Aconthe following manner: The member `is `struction in which one of the bearings `for turned and by' its threadedengagement with the worm shaft is substantially fixed, while .with the collarK, which is held from rota-` the, other is laterally 'adjustable I havev tion by the spline R, will adjust said bushfurther devised a simple means kof adjust ing lorgitudinallyof the houssing A, This longitudinal-adjustment will in turnpproduce a lateral adjustment, due to the fact that the axis of the lexternal surface of the bushing is inclined to the axis of 1ts internal the'stem D. Consequently, the portion of the stein D which passes through thebearing F will be moved laterally by this adjustment, thereby moving the worm E to-` ward or from the worm gear B. Such adjustment is permitted without cramping the shaft in the bearings as the-bushings F and F have spherical outer surfaces which are universally pivotal in the spherical sockets. VAfter the worm is properly meshed with the worm gear, the collar N, which forms an end thrust bearing for the shoulder M, is

locked by the clamping bolt P, while the bolt- Q is tightened to similarly lock the bushing K. "In case of wear end play can be taken up by adjustment of the collar N and vback-lash between the teeth of the worm and gear can be taken up'by adjustment of the bushing K.

-My improved construction is particularly valuable in that it simpliesiand'cheapens the cost of production by eliminating careful selection and avoids the scrapping of many parts. It is also useful as a means of taking up wear, while the construction is asv the gear thereon permitting a pivotal movement, and a bearing on said stem on the 1 opposite end of the gear laterally adjustable v to move said gear toward or from the intermeshing gear. i

2. In a steering gear, the combination with a housing, a steering stem and rocker shaft journaled therein, and intermeshing gears upon said shafts, 0f a bearing for said v steering stem ,atone end of the gear thereon 50 pivotally engagingthe housing, a` bearing on said stem at the opposite end ofthe gear, and a bushing between `the latter bearing and housing adjustable to produce a lateral deflection of said bearing.

3'. In a steering gear, the combination with a housing, a steering stem and rocker shaft journaled therein and intermeshing Y worm gearingI connecting the same, of a bearing for said steering stem at one end of said gearing permitting a pivotal movement in the housing, a bearing for said stem ron the opposite end of the gearing, a bushing ,surrounding the latter bearing 4havfl ing itsvinternal and external surfaces 'respectively concntrlcewith axes mclined 1nd `with a housing, ,of intermeshin relation to each other, means for holding said bushing from rotation, and means for adjusting the bushing longitudinally to efj .fect a lateral displacement of the bearing. surface which is concentric with the axis of A 4,. -In a steering gear, the combinatior with a housing, of intermeshing gears therein, `a shaftbn which one of said gears is mounted, a bearing `for said shaft, a bushing between said shaft bearingand housing having outer and inner surfaces respectively concentric with longitudinal axes which are at an angle to each other, and means for adjusting said bushing longitudinally to effect a lateral movement of said bearing.

5. In a steering gear, the combination with a housing, intermeshing gears therein and ashaft on which one of said gears is mounted, of a bearing for said shaft, a rotative member surrounding said bearing and forming a seat therefor, a bushing surrounding said rotative member and between the same and said housing, said bushing having outer and inner surfaces respectively concentric with longitudinal axes which are at an-angle to each other,7 theinner surface having a rigid engagement with saidrotative member, and means for holding said bushing from rotative movement while permitting longitudinal movement thereof, whereby the rotation of said rotativemember-will cause thelongitudinal movement of said bushing andthe lateral deflection of said bearing.

6. InfI a steering gear, the combination with a housin and intermeshing gears therein, of a shat y is mounted, a bearing on said shaft for reon which one of said gears bushing between said member and said housinghaving a threaded engagement with the former and havinga bearing on the latter -which is at an angle tothe longitudinal axis of said shaft and member, and means for holding said bushing from rotative movement while permitting longitudinal movement thereof, whereby the rotation of said member will cause the longitudinal ad- Vjustmeunt of saidbushing andthe lateral deflection of said member, bearing and shaft.

1, In a steering gear, the combination gears therein, a'shaft on which one of said gears is mounted, a bearing for said shaft adapted to'receive both radial and end thrust, a member carrying said bearing surrounding said shaft and extending outward from said housing, said member being rotatively adjustable, athrust bearing on said housing for said member, a bushing surrounding said member having a threaded engagement therewith, its outer surface being at an 'angle to the axis of said member and shaft, and means for holding said bushing from rotative movement While permitting longitudinal movement thereof.

8. I-n a steering gear, the Combination with a housing, of intermeshing gears journaled therein, a shaft on which one of said gears is mounted, bearings for said sha-ft at opposite ends of the gear thereon, said bearings each being adapted toreceive radial and end thrust, pivotal seats for said bearings, a member in which one of saidA seats is formed surrounding said shaft and extending out from-said easing, said member being rotatively adjustable, a thrust bearing for said member adjustable in said housing, a bushing surrounding said rotative member having a threaded engagement therewith, and a bearing in said housing which is at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and means for holding said bushing from rotative movement While permitting longitudinal movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

FREDERICK H. -RAGAN l 

